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Principia mathematica, vol. 1 (of 3)

Volume 1 / Part 2 — *94. ON POWERS OF RELATIVE PRODUCTS.

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*94. ON POWERS OF RELATIVE PRODUCTS.

Summary of *94.

In this number we shall be chiefly concerned with propositions connecting powers of with powers of . If is a power of , will be a power of . If is a power of , it is a product of the form

If we transfer the initial to the end, we get a power of . Thus there is a power of , say , such that

If , we find by rearranging and observing that . Thus

Expressions of the form are constantly needed. They will be specially dealt with in *150, and will occur constantly in the sequel.

The above connections of and are embodied in the following propositions:

*94·14.

*94·21.

*94·31.

From *94·4 to *94·54, the propositions are all concerned with and . We prove

*94·5.

*94·51.

Finally we prove (*94·53·54) that if either is one-one and , or is one-one and , then is similar to .

The only proposition of this number which is ever subsequently referred to is the last, *94·64, which, owing to the fact that the Schröder-Bernstein theorem has been already proved (*73·88), is only used in *95·23. But *95·23 itself is never referred to again. The reader may therefore omit the reading of the propositions of this number (as also of *95) without detriment to the understanding of what follows; he should, however, read the summaries.

The chief importance of the propositions in the present number is when and fulfil the hypothesis of the Schröder-Bernstein theorem, i.e.

In this case, gives what we may call a "reflexion" of into part of itself; this part may be again reflected by into a part of itself, and so on. The terms in which are eliminated sooner or later by this process of reflexion constitute , since any one reflexion eliminates terms which constitute one generation of . The terms not eliminated by any number of reflexions constitute . These two sets of terms together constitute , i.e. . In this number and *95 we shall prove that, with the Schröder-Bernstein hypothesis,

These two propositions together yield a proof of the Schröder-Bernstein theorem, in virtue of *93·274·275. This proof is essentially the same as Bernsteinʻs published originally by Borel[66].

The nature of the two proofs of the Schröder-Bernstein theorem, namely Zermelo's (that given in *73) and Bernstein's (that to be given in this number and *95) will be best apprehended by means of figures.

Geometrical diagram which represents mathematical relationships between transformations.
Geometrical diagram which represents mathematical relationships between transformations.

In Zermelo's proof, we first prove that if is one-one, and is a class contained in and containing , then is similar both to and to . In the figure, the points of the outer rectangle form , those of the inner rectangle form , and those of the outer oval form . Thus the shaded portion of the figure is . We now define a class of classes by the following characteristics: is a member of if (1) is contained in , (2) contains the whole of the shaded area, (3) , i.e. if is a member of , so is any term to which has the relation . Our proposition is obtained by considering , i.e. the area common to all the members of . We prove (*73·81) that and (*73·811) that does not contain any of the shaded area. In the figure, is the smaller oval. We then prove (*73·83) that consists entirely of the shaded portion and the smaller oval. Hence (the larger oval) consists of two mutually exclusive parts, namely and , the latter being that part of the inner rectangle which lies outside the inner oval. Assuming now that is one-one, is similar to ; hence, adding , it follows that is similar to , and therefore to .

In order to obtain hence the Schröder-Bernstein theorem, it is only necessary to replace by and by , and to assume further that is a one-one whose domain contains . Then , and we obtain (*73·87) , and therefore , which was to be proved.

A schematic diagram showing two parallel systems each containing nested regions.
A schematic diagram showing two parallel systems each containing nested regions.

In Bernstein's proof, we have the two relations and from the beginning. In the left-hand part of the figure, the outer rectangle is , which = , the oval is , and the second rectangle is . Thus the points of the outer but not the second rectangle form the first generation of . Within we can form a third rectangle, which will be , i.e. . The points belonging to the second rectangle but not to the third form the second generation of . We can proceed in this way to continually smaller rectangles. The points which sooner or later are left outside some rectangle form ; those which are common to all the rectangles form . A similar analysis, exhibited in the right-hand part of the figure, may be applied to , which is thus divided into and . We prove in this number (*94·53) that, with a hypothesis which is part of the hypothesis of the Schröder-Bernstein theorem, ; in the next number (*95·71) we prove that with the hypothesis of the Schröder-Bernstein theorem, . Hence by addition, .

*94·12.

Dem.

*94·13.

*94·14.

Dem.

*94·2.

Dem.

*94·201.

Dem.

*94·21.

Dem.

*94·22.

Dem.

*94·3.

Dem.

*94·31.

The following series of propositions lead up to the proof that when , or , we have

*94·4.

Dem.

*94·401.

Dem.

*94·402.

Dem.

*94·41.

Dem.

*94·42.

Dem.

*94·43.

*94·441.

*94·442.

*94·5.

Dem.

*94·51.

*94·52.

*94·53.

Dem.

*94·54.

*94·6.

Dem.

*94·61.

Dem.

*94·62.

Dem.

*94·63.

Dem.

*94·64.

Dem.

FOOTNOTES:

Notes in this chapter

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